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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add... (More)

About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in addition to writing editorials for more than 15 years. I have served as a director of many non-profits in the Valley and the broader Bay Area and currently serve as chair of Teen Esteem and on the advisory board of Shepherd?s Gate. I also served as founding chair of Heart for Africa and have travelled to Africa seven times to serve on mission trips. My wife, Betty Gail, has taught at Amador Valley High (from where we both graduated) since 1981. She and I both graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, as did both of my parents and my three siblings. Given that Cal tradition, our daughter went south to the University of Southern California and graduated with a degree in international relations. Since graduation, she has taken three mission trips and will be serving in the Philippines for nine months starting in September. (Hide)

Charter school leaders face District Attorney's investigation

Uploaded: Jun 20, 2017

The Livermore Valley Charter schools formally moved to close up shop this month after its board declared bankruptcy and prepared to go out of business.
Meanwhile, we learned that the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into the financial dealings of senior leaders of the charter school organization. The investigation came to light after the Alameda County Office of Education formally refused a Freedom of Information request from a former charter school parent.
She wrote in a comment below, "I am one of several former parents of the Livermore Charters that have been seeking for truth and accountability, which was the purpose to my public records request."
The education dept.’s spokeswoman, Autumn King, wrote parent Lu See Kwik in an email, “The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) has received formal notification from the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office that they have opened an investigation into the Tri-Valley Learning Corporation (TVLC) and those associated with it based on the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team extraordinary audit report. As such, all evidence that ACOE obtained during the course of our preliminary investigation into TVLC matters are privileged under CA Evidence Code section 1040. ACOE will not be able to fulfill your request below.”
Contrary to what you may be reading coming out of Washington, D.C., prosecutors rarely confirm an investigation until they have completed it and are ready to file charges or drop the matter—that’s particularly true in potential white-collar violations.
The situation with the Tri-Valley Learning Corporation, because of the deep audit commissioned by the county education office after numerous requests by the Livermore school district, was different because of the formal request.
The D.A.’s investigation will probe the audit conducted by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team. That audit found numerous instances where former CEO Bill Batchelor and other managers may have violated the law. The report drew no legal conclusions, but pointed out numerous instances of conflict of interest relationships, diverted, co-mingled or diverted public funds including tax-exempt bonds of more than $67 million. These were couched careful language such as “may have…”
In published reports, Batchelor, through a spokesman, denied any wrongdoing.
The Livermore school district, which formally oversees the publicly funded charter schools, has raised questions about finances since 2012. The audit seemed to confirm those concerns.
The audit runs more than 70 pages not included the detailed appendix.
The ball now is in the District Attorney Nancy O’Malley’s court to have her investigators and dig into what the audit turned up. Reading through the report, there appears to be plenty of fodder for her team.

NOTE:This corrects first blog that incorrectly stated that Lu See Kwik was affiliated with the charter organization. She is a former charter school parent.

Dear Mr. Hunt,
I respectfully request you correct your article Immediately to state that the public records request to Autumn King was made by a former charter parent- not a charter organization. I am not part of a charter organization. However, you have my permission to explain that I am one of several former parents of the Livermore Charters that have been seeking for truth and accountability, which was the purpose to my public records request.

Posted by Former Teacher,
a resident of Dublin,
on Jun 22, 2017 at 11:48 am

It is about time the the DA opens a formal investigation and brings to light the corruption involved in the destruction of the Livermore Valley Charter Schools. Parents and Teachers have worked closely over the past two years to bring the seriousness of TVLC's mismanagement to light. With the help and encouragement of LVJUSD and a strong parent support group, most students were welcomed back into the district when the Satelitte Campus, now Lawerence Elementary School, opened; however the pain and trauma of the overall experience is something that students, teachers, and parents still deal with on a daily basis. Some teachers are still dealing with STRS trying to get years in service corrected and many will never get back the fees and penalties incurred for the lack of payments that occurred to their accounts when TVLC decided to "miss" payments for several months. Teachers will never recoup the lost salary for the raises they did not receive that were promised to them in there step and scale for the year 2016-2017. Their are students who are now displaced or will have to repeat classes due to loss of WASC accreditation and parents who hug their children who cry for their friends that now go to different schools or miss their old teachers. Parents continue to fight for Charter reform and will NEVER give up until TVLC is brought to justice. The DA should review all evidence and quickly begin to bring these people to justice so we all can begin to have a little peace.

Posted by Jack,
a resident of Vintage Hills,
on Jun 22, 2017 at 12:29 pm

Are they also going to start an investigation as to why their Superintendant is paid so much? She's like the highest paid in the area will the lowest performing schools. How does a person get a gig like that?

Why anyone would ever go to school in Livermore is beyond me anyway. Live in Livermore if you have no kids. If you want your kids to have a decent education move to a better district like we have here in Pleasanton. Easy.